Aston Villa have had a positive start to the season. Their perfect start to the season came to an end against Leeds when they lost 0-3 at Villa park on Friday. Villa already have a third of their points from last season’s tally, only five games into the season. Much of this should be attributed to their smart business in the recently concluded summer transfer window. Not only did they sign players, but they also retained the services of Jack Grealish by offering him a new long term contract. Their main issues from last season included their ability to create. Grealish was the main, and probably only, source of creativity in that team. So, they decided to sign Ross Barkley on loan from Chelsea and, up until now, it has proved to be a smart piece of business.
Barkley made his Villa debut against Liverpool by helping his team beat the defending champions 7-2. The Englishman also netted the winner away to Leicester City in the following week. Even during the defeat against Leeds, Barkley put up a bright performance.
The visualisation below shows his action zones (boxes) and his shots so far. As we can see, the 26-year-old midfielder plays centrally and is not hesitant to take a shot. Barkley, in fact, has taken 12 shots in three games, which is the most of any Villa player. Both of his goals have also come from outside the box.
The midfielder has also been one of the chief creators in the Villa team with 0.53 key passes per 90 and 0.8 shot assists per 90. In short, Barkley is likely playing regularly and playing happily at Villa. The midfielder will look to stay free from injuries and play a vital part in Villa’s push to finish in the top half.
